Various theories regarding the care of teeth have from time to time held sway as to the correct mode and consequently methods of cleaning the teeth have evolved in order to practise the theory. For many years it has been recommended that a hand held brush should be used with a circular motion for efficient enamel cleaning, food removal and a gum massage. Recently such advice was thought to be a compromise between what was best and what adults and children could be expected to perform daily.
I have shown that a sweeping motion with brush bristles over the gum toward the teeth in a direction substantially perpendicular to the gum results in improved overall hygiene because the border between the gum and enamel is swept unidirectionally so as to seal the region of overlap instead of separating the gum from the enamel. Such a motion is difficult to carry out by hand moreover the direction of the sweep must be reversed between the upper and lower teeth so as to preserve and promote the sealed attachment in the gingival sulcus between the gingiva and the cemento-enamel junction. The application of such sweeping motion requires both patience and persistence and is much more conveniently formed by a powered brush.